Improvement in foot-rests for chairs



M. EBERHARD.

Foot-Rests for 'Chairs.

' Pafentedsept.15,1a74.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN EBERHARD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOOT-RESTS FOR CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,016., dated September 15, 1874; application filed April 17, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MARTIN EBERHARD, of the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Chairs, of which the following is a specication:

My invention relates .to the combination of a foot-rest with a chair in such a manner that the occupant of the chair can, by means of his foot, draw forward the foot-rest into position for use, or push it backward until it is placed directly under the seat of the chair, and therefore out of use. This movable footrest is, moreover, so contrived that it becomes instantly locked in the rear' position when the chair is lifted olf the floor or tilted in any direction, so that in handling .the empty chair, and while moving it from place to place, the foot-rest is not liable to slide forward or to be injured in any manner. Only in the upright position of the chair, with all its feet resting on the floor, is the foot-rest liberated, so as to slide forward if impelled by the foot of the occupant of the chair, or in any other convenient manner.

My invention will be fully understood upon reference to the accompanying drawing, making part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference allude to like parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a sectional elevation of a chair to which my improved foot-rest is attached, the latter being shown in position for use. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of .the improved chair and foot-rest. Fig. 3 is a plan of the foot-rest with the seat and back of the chair removed. ".Fig. 4 is a detached view of the legs and foot-rest, showing the latter in its rear position7 as when out of use. Figs. 5 and 6 are similar detached views, showing the manner of locking the foot-rest by the act of tilting the chair in any direction, or by lifting it off the floor, whereby the foot-rest is effectually prevented from sliding forward, except When the chair is standing in the position for use. In the illustrated construction of my improved chair the foot-rest c slides upon a T-shaped bar, b, which is supported upon the front and back cross-ties c and d of the chair. The foot-rest c is at its front end provided with a cross-piece, e, carrying two small rollers, ff, which, when resting on the door, support the front end of the foot-rest and sustain the weight placed upon it. The longitudinal parallel pieces g g of the foot-rest act as guides for the rest in its sliding motion, the stationary bar b of the chair being loosely confined between them. Upon reference to Figs. l and 4 it will be seen that the height of the footrest from the iloor is so adjusted with reference to the front cross-tie c that when the chair is standing upon the floor the contact of the rollers f f with the floor Will slightly elevate the front end of the rest above the crosstie c, and permit the bars g g to slide forward with the foot-rest; but as soon as the chair is lifted up or tilted in any manner, whereby the weight of the foot-rest is taken 0E the rollers f f, (see Figs. 5 and 6,) the foot-rest will drop sufficiently to confine the cross-tie c between the projecting lips g' of the bars g on the back and the cross-piece e on its front side, whereby the rest is effectually prevented from sliding about and changing its position, no matter how much the chair may be moved or carried about. As soon, however, as the chair is placed fairly upon the floor, the foot-rest is again slightly elevated in front and the lips kg are disengaged from the cross-bar c, so that the occupant may at will easily push the footrest forward into position for use.

It will be obvious that the arrangement of my improved chair will admit of a variety of modifications, both in the material used and in the details employed in the construction of the foot-rest and appertaining parts, without thereby impairin g the object Vand the essential features of my improvement.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is`

As an improvement in chairs, the combination, with a sliding foot-rest, a, of the rollers f f, the cross-tie c, the cross-piece e, and lips g of the bars g, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

MARTIN EBEE'HAED( Witnesses THEoDoRE BERGNER, CHAs. E. PANcoAsT. 

